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Secretariat for Legal Affairs (SLA)


Video Intro

The Secretariat for Legal Affairs (SLA) develops, promotes, and implements the Inter-American Program for the Development of International Law; provides advisory services concerning international law and the development and codification of inter-American law; supports the follow-up mechanisms for certain inter-American conventions; serves as a depository and source of information for inter-American treaties and the agreements of the OAS and its organs; disseminates information on the legal instruments of the OAS and its legal programs; and provides other services related to inter-American legal cooperation.

The SLA and its dependencies and staff are under the overall direction, supervision, and control of the Secretary for Legal Affairs, who reports to the Secretary General, in accordance with the legal system of the Organization.

The SLA is comprised of the Executive Office of the Secretary for Legal Affairs and the following dependencies:

It coordinates the activities of the Secretariat in relation to the Inter-American Juridical Committee.